The PE Department held an All Night Sports Event on Thursday 24 October which involved 65 pupils participating in physical activity from 8.00pm on Thursday evening to 8.00am on Friday morning.

The aim of the event was to reinforce the link between an active lifestyle and good health while also raising funds for PE equipment through sponsorship.

During the night pupils participated in a wide range of different games as they battled against falling asleep. A large delivery of pizza late at night helped to provide energy for the long night ahead!

Well done to all involved and many thanks to the staff that provided supervision with particular mention for PE teachers Mr J Black and Miss L Anderson.

25/10/13 - Newry & Mourne Council Visit

Year 12 pupils Alexander Kinnear and Thomas Ferris made a recent visit to the offices of Newry & Mourne District Council.

During the visit the boys got the opportunity to question local Councillors on a wide range of local issues.

Alexander is pictured (front left) during the visit.

24/10/13 - Year 10 Pupils Attend Holocaust Survivor Story

On Tuesday 22 October six of our Year 10 History pupils had the remarkable privilege of hearing the testimony of Joanna Millan, a Holocaust survivor. The event was organised by Newry and Mourne District Council and the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) and was attended by the Deputy Mayor alongside 60 students from post-primary schools in the area. Her inspirational and personal story captivated her young audience as she recounted her family’s harrowing experiences of living in Nazi occupied Europe. Her warmth, honesty and detailed accounts engaged our pupils and were a powerful reminder of the horrors so many experienced during this period of history.

Joanna quoted philosopher Edmund Burke and explained “For evil to prosper, all it takes is for good men to do nothing.” She urged them to be aware that it is possible to make a difference in society today and to stand up to injustice when it happens.

The event was organised by the Council’s Good Relations section and was supported by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy Minister. It was part of a series of workshops that focus on the theme of ‘Dealing with the Past’ which seeks to encourage all of our local communities to use the lessons we have learnt from the past to make a positive difference in our own lives, ensuring that we can all work together to create a shared future.

Our privileged pupils attended the event alongside five Year 10 pupils from St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook. Over the past month our two History Departments have linked together to mark the significance of the Decade of Anniversaries. We have organised two commemorative trips for our Year 10 History pupils to take part in during November. These trips will give our pupils an incredible opportunity to visit three key historic sites: the Battle of the Boyne; Kilmainham Gaol (Dublin) and the Somme Heritage Centre (Newtownards). Visiting these significant historical sites will take history outside the classroom, bringing it to life. It will also make it even more memorable and will help to build good relations as we work towards a shared future.

The Music Department is delighted that SELB Music Service guitar tuition has proved popular once again this year. Pupils attend 30 minute lessons each week in pairs, learning to play a varied repertoire, from French classics to popular hits from Snow Patrol and Taylor Swift. Pupils also have the opportunity to use software packages and apps such as TuxGuitar, allowing pupils to perform with backing tracks – an exciting way to develop performance skills.

Pictured are beginner pupils, Kelly-Ann Smyth and Judith Leeman (8X), along with advanced pupils Joel Ewart and Aaron Mitchell (9X). Both Joel and Aaron are currently preparing for Grade 2 in Classical Guitar, having successfully excelled and passed their Grade 1 in the Summer Term. Well done boys!

Thanks to Mr Mervyn Braden of the SELB Music Service for his continued enthusiasm and innovative lessons.

07/10/13 - Year 9 Enjoy a Robotics Road Show!

Sentinus, the Northern Ireland SETPOINT, is a not for profit educational charity and one of the largest providers of business/education activity in the United Kingdom. The organisation works with young people, from 5 to 19 years old, to promote innovation and creativity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) and support the development of employability and life skills through challenging and exciting experiences linked with the world of work.

On Monday 7th October pupils from Newtownhamilton High School took part in the Sentinus Robotics Roadshow, held within the Technology and Design suite. The students put their problem solving skills to very good use by working through a series of robotics challenges.

Working in pairs, supported by a team of trained Year 12 mentors, the pupils were taught how to write simple programmes to control their own robot. They then wrote their own programmes to get it to carry out a range of specific tasks set within the context of lunar exploration. The event concluded with a competitive challenge for the teams at the end of the day.

Students from 9X and 9A thoroughly enjoyed the experience. A huge thank you to the team of mentors from Year 12, who helped and guided the Year 9 pupils throughout the two sessions.

All parents, staff and friends of the school are encouraged to attend the School Association AGM on Wednesday 16 October 2013 at 8.00pm in Room 5.

During the 2012/13 school year, the School Association held a number of community based events that raised almost £2000.00 for school funds. More information on the School Association can be found by clicking on the Association page of this website.

01/10/13 - Newtownhamilton High Recognised as "Best Practice"

ETI Launches Survey of Best Practice in English and Mathematics in Post-Primary Schools

Concern about the about the percentage of pupils achieving poor educational outcomes (as measured by % pupils achieving 5+ GCSEs including GCSE English & Maths), particularly those schools with high levels of social deprivation (as measured by Free School Meals Entitlement) led the Department of Education to commission the Education and Training Inspectorate to carry out a survey of “Best Practice” in these two important areas.

Mr Mullan (pictured 2nd from right) at the recent Best Practice event

Performance Data (2011) used to inform the selection of schools.

School

% 5+ GCSEs including

English & Maths

% entitled to Free School

Meals (FSME)

St Marys Portglenone

68.3

22.1

Newbridge Integrated Loughbrickland

66.3

12.6

Newtownhamilton High

66.1

7.7

Sperrin Integrated Magherafelt

59.7

18.5

Markethill High

57

7.9

St Marys Irvinestown

56

33.7

Ballycastle High

54.4

22.5

St Cecelias Londonderry

54.1

41.3

Holy Trinity Cookstown

51.6

31.7

St Josephs Newry

42.4

39.6

De La Salle Downpatrick

40

33.3

Although the percentage of pupils in Newtownhamilton High eligible for Free School Meals is comparatively low, the school was included in the survey of best practice because their statistics for that year were very good.

Newtownhamilton High Principal Garnet Mullan stated:

“It was an honour to be present at the launch of this important survey and to be able to represent the school at such a prestigious event. Pupils obtained the providential results after much hard work allied to Best Practice by the teachers. Parents also played their vital part in ensuring that work was completed on time and to an exacting standard.

What this shows yet again is that the small school, with care for the individual child that is appreciated so much by parents in the community, can perform at the highest level. We believe that it is the high quality of education offered in Newtownhamilton High that has been one of the key factors in the support for the secure future for the school that is evident in the SELB Area Planning process.

In addition, we should not forget the quality of service delivered by ETI when carrying out their inspections of schools.”

01/10/13 - Newtownhamilton Supports Run for Autism

Local members of the HAND (Helping Autism in the Newry District) team made a visit to morning assembly on Monday 30 September in order to raise awareness of the 6th annual Run/Walk for Autism which takes place in the area on Saturday 5 October.

More information can be obtained by visiting the Run for Autism website.